Artificial wood or substitute material.



106. COMPOSITIONS, 9 1 COATING R PLASTIC.

mannng ingredients.

Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB LAEUFER, OF LIMA OHIO 8/ 8 ARTIFICIAL WOOD OR SUBSTITUTE MATERIAL,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed January 31,1906. Seria1N0.298,862.

To all whom it 712.117 concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB LAEL'FER. a citizen of the United States.residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio. haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Artificial 'ood or SubstituteMaterial, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an artificial wood or substance to serve as asubstituteforwood.

This artificial wood or substitute substance is fireproof. anon-conductor of heat or cold. can be rendered practically waterproofunder all conditions, is a non-conductor of electricity, and capable ofbeing cut by the use of a saw or other analogous cutting implement or toreceive nails. spikes, or other fastenings with the same holdingsecurely as wood without crumbling. cracking, or otherwise injuring theartificial material. The use of this artificial material is general. butis particularly adapted for lining refrigerators. fence-posts.railroad-ties. and in all places where wood or stone are now used, andone of the main advantages of the improved material is that it standsmore pressure to the square inch than either wood or brick. Furthermore.the artificial wood or substitute material or substance for wood andstone in various arts, and embodying the features of the invention. ismade up of contituents which can be readily and cheaply obtained. andthe several constituents may be economically assembled.

The artificial wood or substitute material consists. essentially. of aresisting element which has the effect to overcome expansion andcontraction, a hardening material, and a binder.- To these it isproposed to add at times a further element for more positively closingpores, an auxiliary binder, and a waterproof substance, such oil. It isalso intended to coat the artificial wood or substitute material to a dapt it for some uses with a composition of creosote and paraffin.

In its simplified form the artificial wood or substitute material iscomposed of vegetable matter. one pound; Portland cement, two)lastenofiaris. our ounces: swine )lood. quamuy su Ic1ent to moisten there- The vegetable matter may be sawdust. straw. stall residuum orrefuse, corns a an-iart. or 0 I191 analogous materia w uci 1s finelyground and thoroughly mixed with the Portland cement andplast-er-of-paris. These three constituents namely, vegetable matter,Portland cement,

and plaster-of-paris-are then moist en ed with swine blood to a suitableconsistent-yewiugh blood being used to arrive at the result sought. Thisswine blood must also be treated before it is of any value or aseffective in its pur 'msc in combination with the remainingconstituents. This treatment co Isists practically in aging the blood.it being stirred rapidly and all the meaty substance removed therefrom.It is then permitted to stand fora suitable length of time and settleand the water drained off, leaving the body of the blood for use in thecomposition. As is well understood, swine blood carries a particularform of iron in solution, and it is thus rendered effective as a binderfor the remaining ingredients.

As above noted, the vegetable matter operates to give the resultingsubstance a woodlike character with the advantage of the bardeningeffect produced by the Portland cement and plaster-of-paris and also theadditional advantage of resisting expansion and contraction. In someinstances one ounce of sulfuris added to the composition to more firmlyclose the pores to adapt the resulting material or artificial wood forspecific uses. In other instances suitable saccharin matter, such assugar, to the extent of about two ounces is added to the composition toform an auxiliary binder. If the vegetable matter forming one of themain constituents of the compound is made from cornstallts. it isunnecessary to use the sugar. as there is sufficient saccharin matterresident in corn stalks to take the place of sugar.

Though the material containing the main elements or constituents justspecified and as being essentially four in number will answer allordinary purposes and be effective in the production of an artificialwood or substitute substance, it is obvious that various contingenciesand conditions may confrontv the user and manufacturer of the same, andthe additional constituents mentioned are to meet these variations. Theartificial wood or substitute material will in its simplified form bepractically waterproof, and the addition of other waterproofingmaterials or constituents to increase the density or to close the poresare used simply from a precautionary standpoint. To meet heavy outdoorwearing qualificationssuch as railroad-ties, fenceposts, and analogousdevicesthe completed artificial wood or substitute substance will becoated with a composition of creosote and araffin in suitableproportions. EM gar are used in the compound. the oil being employed togive the material greater waterproof characteristics. they are mixedwith the swine blood and added with the latter to the other ingredients.It will be understood that the substitute material while in a moistenedcondition may be molded into any shape desired and that suitable moldsmaybe used for giving the same the requisite contour.

The improved material will be found exceptionally useful for allpurposes Where blood and stone are now employed. and by varying theingredients or constituents as specified. or. in other words. makingadditions to the main ingredients the said material will be renderedpractical for all uses. It has been found in practice that spikes ornails driven into the material adhere more firmly than in wood. with theadditional advantage that there nothing around the driven part of thespilte or nail to rot. and hence such driven devices almost remain inpositive application in the said material.

Having thus described the invention. What is claimed as new is 1. Theherein-described substitute material, consisting of vegetable matter.Portland cement. plaster-of-paris. and swine. blood. in or about theproportions mentioned.

2. The herein-described material. consisting of vegetable matter,Portland cement. plaster-of-paris. sulfur. and swine blood. in or aboutthe proportions mentioned.

3. The herein-described material, consisting of vegetable matter.Portland cement. plaster-of-paris. sulfur. sugar. and swine blood. in orabout the proportions mentioned.

4. The herein-described substitute material, consisting of vegetablematter. Portland cement, plaster-of-paris. oil. and swine blood. in orabout the proportions mentioned.

5. The herein-descril ed substitute material. consisting of vegetablematter. Portland cement, plastcr-oi'paris. sulfur. oil. and swine blood.in or about the proportions mentioned.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing \vitnesses.

JACOB LAlCl'FlClt.

Witnesses:

Jonx F. Nommx, Jonx CRETSINGER.

